Mendon in winter, Arbon in summer: the Cache Valley homesteaders

In the decade after 1908 the Logan newspapers' town columns recorded a seasonal journey. Each spring families from Mendon and other Cache Valley towns in northern Utah went north to homesteads and dry farms in Bannock Valley, as Arbon Valley was often still called, and each fall many of them came home for the winter. Arbon was in Oneida County, Idaho, until Power County was created in 1913.

"Coming in fast"

Mendon men such as the Andersen brothers had been in the valley since the 1890s. On January 1, 1908, the Logan Republican reported:

Fred Larsen, of Mendon, recently returned from Bannock valley, where he and his brothers are running cattle. In speaking of the advancement of the country, he says that homesteaders are coming in fast, seeking for locations. Sheep and cattle are doing fine in that section of the country.

In January 1910 the Logan Journal's column from Greenville, now North Logan, reported that Maughan Bros. and C. A. Hibbard, "who have been homesteading land in Bannock valley, are enjoying home life again."

The Mendon column

From 1911 the Logan Republican's Mendon column followed the traffic week by week to two places: Arbon, and Buist at the south end of the valley, where the Richards, Willie and Buist families of Mendon had filed on homesteads in 1909.

By early April 1912 Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson had gone back to Arbon "after spending the winter here," Lonnie Wood had gone out "on his homestead," and Willard and Emer Richards had left for their dry farms at Buist. In May four Walkers, among them Gerald, George and Helen, went to their Buist homesteads, and so did Floyd and Pierce Hardman and Mrs. Laura Hardman. In June Mr. and Mrs. Will Buist went out. He was probably the Mendon homesteader William E. Buist, the likely namesake of the Buist post office.

Women held claims of their own. In June 1911 Mrs. Willis Hardman came home from Buist after "living on her homestead for two months," and in July Mrs. Poulson came in from Arbon, where she too had been living on her homestead. To prove up and receive title, a homesteader had to live on the claim and farm it; a law of 1912 allowed up to five months away each year.

Fall brought them back. In late 1911 Ammon and Frank Sorensen and Pierce Hardman came in from their Buist homesteads "for the winter," and John Anderson and family moved in from Arbon. This was almost certainly John C. and DeSena Andersen. Their son Mark was born in Mendon on February 15, 1912, and George Andersen's memoir remembers that his brother's family left for that winter while he and Beth fed their stock through snow over the fence posts. When the Andersons went home to Arbon again in the summer of 1913, they had been visiting their parents in Mendon and in Smithfield, DeSena's hometown.

The traffic ran both ways. Jerry Baker and Chauncey Payne of Arbon were to spend Christmas 1911 in Mendon, and on April 25, 1912, Mae Gardner of Mendon and Chauncey Payne were married at Malad. "Mr. and Mrs. Payne will make their home in Arbon, Idaho," the column said.

The season of 1913

In February 1913 the column reported the funeral in Mendon of Andrew, the four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Anderson. He was probably the Andrew Otto Andersen of the site's Otto Andersen history, which gives his death as February 1912, but the Mendon column that reported the funeral is dated February 23, 1913. In June Otto Anderson moved his family to Arbon.

At Buist, Vance Walker went out in late April "to stay all summer," and the same day Pierce Hardman was brought home with spotted fever. In late June Henry Sorenson and John Gardner came home from Buist: "They say that the crops are fine." By August Pierce Hardman was going out again. In September a member of Mendon's Willie family, probably Willard Willie, fell from a load of grain he was freighting at Buist; the wagon ran over his arm and broke it in two places, and he was brought home to Mendon.

"Most all the settlers are from Cache Valley"

In January 1914 Bishop W. F. Kowallis of the Meadow Ward, formed at the north end in 1911, visited Logan, and the Logan Republican reported:

Most all the settlers are from Cache Valley, some of them from Washington in the north west. He urges upon young men who are not already established to turn their attention to Bannock valley, where there are lands open for settlement. Several young men who went there years ago have made good progress and do not desire to return to Logan where they were practically living from hand to mouth.

Other towns kept the same calendar. From North Logan, Andrew King came home in June 1913 "delighted with that country," where his son John was dry farming, and in May 1917 Mrs. Ruby King and her children left for Arbon to spend the summer. In November 1917 the Davis County Weekly Reflex reported:

Owen A. Wall, who emigrated to Arbon, Idaho, some four years ago, has returned to Kaysville with his family and is now living on the old homestead with his mother on the Mountain road. ... He will return in the spring and put in a wheat crop but he says the snowfall in that country, while good for a wheat crop, is not calculated to bring it into favor as a winter resort.

Others wintered at Malad. In April 1916 Henry Daniels's family and Perry Lusk, probably the site's Perry Park Lusk, moved back to Pauline from Malad, and in November 1918 Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Haws came in from Buist to spend the winter there.

Looking back

Peter Larsen, a Mendon schoolteacher and mayor, made one of the first Summit homestead entries in 1901. A 1951 birthday profile said he had lived at Arbon most of the time since leaving teaching in 1912; a 1944 notice, which put his homesteading in 1915, does not agree with the land record. A 1986 birthday notice for Lucille Hillyard, born Lucille Bird in Mendon, who married Gwen Hardman in 1913, said they homesteaded a farm at Arbon and later moved to Mendon so the children could go to school during the winter. At Buist the Latter-day Saint ward met only from April to October, the site's Buist history records, because most families moved to town for the winter.

The article as printed

Logan Republican, January 1, 1908, page 5. Transcribed from the page scan.

CITY AND COUNTY
Items of Interest About [illegible] People and Events.
George Knight and family have moved to Ogden.
A. Ottenheimer, of the Hub Clothing Co., returned to Salt Lake Monday.
Mrs. Sarah Jacobs, of Salem Idaho, is visiting her daughter Mrs. Nelson of Newton.
Miss Emma Bernston who came up from Ogden to spend Christmas day, returned yesterday.
Eliason Sisters have displayed good taste in their selection of holiday presents.
The first floor of the Newton school house will be ready for occupancy the first part of the new year.
The eating car sold by W. B. Davis to Purser and Jensen is being run at Smithfield with great success.
Mr. E. A. Vandervero representing the Dunham Fletcher stock farm, of Illinois, was in the city a few days on business.
Edwin Peake, of Ogden, came to Logan Friday on a business trip and returned on Monday. He is now working in the S. P. R. R. shops.
Carl Smart left for Kelton on Monday to look after the sheep interests of the Smart Land and Stock Co. which has about 10,000 sheep there on the winter range.
On Monday Willard Larsen, of Fairview, son of Bishop C. J. Larsen, of the Seventh ward was brought to one of the local hospitals to undergo an operation for appendicitis.
Eliason Sisters have aimed to please everybody in their purchases for the Christmas trade. See their fine stock.
Mr. A. A. Schulthess, of Salt Lake, was in Providence Sunday visiting his sister Mrs. Krouse, who has been ill of late. While in Logan on Sunday he spoke at the German meeting.
The remains of Mrs. Rhoda E. Miller were interred in this city last Sunday. The deceased was the daughter of W. G. Burton, formerly of Logan. The father and husband accompanied the remains.
Thomas and Mira Obray, of Paradise, are stricken with grief over the sudden death of their six year old boy Golden, who died of heart failure Sunday night. Numerous friends of the couple sympathize with them in their bereavement.
Fred Larsen, of Mendon, recently returned from Bannock valley, where he and his brothers are running cattle. In speaking of the advancement of the country, he says that homesteaders are coming in fast, seeking for locations. Sheep and cattle are doing fine in that section of the country.
W. W. Clark, recently forman of the Bear River reserve, will be engaged at the U. A. C. until April 1908, after which he will assume the duties of Inspector over the Western reserve, and will make Salt Lake his headquarters. Mr. Woodruff, his successor, is here to remain permanently.
The holiday goods at Eliason's are unlike anything ever offered before in Logan. The newest and best is to be found there.
Mr. John Edwards has fully decided to change his location from Logan to Southern California, as soon as he can close up his business affairs in this city. He now offers the Palace building for sale. Owing to its location on Center street this makes a desireable piece of property for a hotel and if handled properly would surely bring good returns on the investment.
In 1882 Herman Johnson was caterer to a high toned private club in Buffalo, New York where Geo. H. Champ formed his acquaintance. Occasionally during the past years Mr. Champ visited the same club and informed them as to the whereabouts of their old friend. Last Christmas day Mr. Johnson received a basket of Champagne from the club with their best wishes.
Mrs. Lizzie Stoddard, who came to Hyde Park to attend the funeral of her father, James Thurston, about a week ago, returned to her home in Cassia county, Idaho, last Monday. She had with her the nine-months-old adopted baby boy who she brought from the east last spring. The child's mother who died last June at her home in Lake Bluff, Ill., was her husband's cousin.
Last Sunday snow was eight inches deep at Brigham City.
Get some of those [illegible] pants and [illegible] shirts at Morrell's. See page 2.
Fister & Nielsen have closed out their harness business at Preston.
We sell the Earth and Loan money on it, H. A. Pedersen & Co.
Miss Lydia Owen, of Ogden, spent Christmas with her mother in Wellsville.
Norman Dahle stared for Deep Creek Sunday to inspect some mining properties.
Samuel Pike returned from Coalville Sunday night, where he spent Christmas with his sister.
The Fonnesbeck Knitting Factory will move their plant to the Eagle building on North Main the forepart of January.
James E. Williamson, formerly of Wellsville, has sold out his liquor business in Salt Lake city and expects to return to Cache Valley.
Eliason Sisters have a wonderful variety of Christmas goods from which you can easily select your presents.
The officers of the Relief society, of Cache Stake, will hold their regular monthly meeting at the usual place next Saturday at 10 a.m. A full attendance is desired.
Steve Adams the noted criminal passed through Cache Junction Sunday, in charge of two officers. He is on the way to Colorado where he will be tried for murder.
Mrs. Bell Goodwin and her two children passed through Cache Junction enroute to Los Angeles where she will spend the winter with her daughter, Mrs. Whitney Kimball.
E. D. Hoggan, local manager of the Independent Telephone company, will attend a banquet in Salt Lake given by Elmer B Jones, general manager of the company to all of the local managers.
[illegible] Nash, assessor of Oneida county, Idaho, passed through Logan Sunday to Malad on official business. The taxes of that county become delinquent on the first Monday of each January.
It is stated that the Salt Lake and Logan Glove and Tanning companies are about to consolidated. If consumated the tanning will be done in this city and the making of gloves in Salt Lake.
John Smith, formerly one of the Fourth ward boys, came from Pocatello to spend Christmas with his mother, he returned North Sunday. The young man is engaged as engineer for Franklin and Hayes a bottling establishment.
If you go to Eliason Sisters first you will save much time and trouble. They have a large and varied stock of Christmas goods, different from any, in which you are sure to find the gift you want.
Alfred Cole was called to Salt Lake Monday by his wife. Mrs. Cole has been in the city several weeks attending her mother, Mrs. Minnie J. Snow, who is suffering from a cancer of the eye. It is feared by the attending physicians that she can live but a short time.
Willard Done, one one of the agents of the New York Life Insurance Co., went to Smithfield last Saturday to deliver a check of $1,000 to Sylvester Lowe in full payment on the insurance policy carried by his son, Sylvester Lowe, who died recently. The deceased had been insured about four years and had paid in as premiums about one hundred and fifty dollars.
George A. Bigler, of Teton city, is in Mendon visiting his relatives during the holidays, he says that John Whitney and John [illegible], of Rexburg, have been boring for oil in Teton valley, they have gone down about 700 feet. While indications are good, they have not yet struck oil but they have passed through plenty of coal. The Ramell brothers have their coal mine running at full blast, in the Teton valley. They can sell all they can mine, the quality is first class. It is a great advantage to the people in the Rexburg country as it costs only about sixty per cent as much as the Railroad coal and teams can load heavily as it is practically a down hill pull from the mine to Rexburg and adjacent towns.
Get to Morrell's sale early.
Cowhides are selling for [illegible] per cent less than they did one year ago.
Mrs. Evan Owens, wife of the bishop of Wellsville, is still very ill.
Morrell's sale is on. The biggest they've ever given. See ad. on page 2.
The Odd Fellows dance that was to be given tonight is indefinitely postponed.
Mrs. L. F. Smith, of the Second ward, is recovering from a siege of typhoid.
Don't forget the Matinee at the Electric Theater this afternoon from 3 to 6 p. m.
The Williamson Livery and Transfer will run for the Eagle hotel after January 1st, 1908. Hack meets all trains.
Daniel Crookston, of Magrath, came to Logan yesterday. He will probably remain in this vicinity for two months.
Good wild hay deliverd in town for $6.00 per ton. Apply to T. J. Poulter.
The committee on electric lighting met yesterday morning to wind up the unfinished business and put Mayor-elect Edwards in touch with the labors that confront him.
James Kirby and wife, of Idaho Falls, came to the funeral of his mother, Susan Kirby who recently died at Hyde Park. The couple returned home Sunday.
The Hyrum Stake priesthood meeting will be held in Hyrum Saturday, January 4, 1908, at 12 o'clock noon. High council at 10 a. m. Hyrum Stake Presidency.
N. Ralph Moore, editor of The Republican, is still confined to his bed through sickness, he is gradually improving, therefore any sentences that may appear in this or subsequent issues that bear the ear marks of a farmer, may be kindly overlooked by our readers.
The Thatcher quartette furnished the music for a Christmas program, given by the Mutuals of the First ward on Sunday evening. Those who were present have been lavish in their praise of all the selections rendered, especially of the quartette, "Consider the Lillies."

Mendon in winter, Arbon in summer: the Cache Valley homesteaders

"Coming in fast"

The Mendon column

The season of 1913

"Most all the settlers are from Cache Valley"

Looking back

The article as printed

Sources

Connected histories

Buist

Andrew "Otto" Andersen

Pauline and West Fork